Reunion
by tcherbeth
Summary: My take on the reunion between Daryl and Carol. Just a one-shot for now, might add more later. First time writer, first time posting. Thanks for reading!
1. Chapter 1

She stood in the shadows, shifting from foot to foot as she hesitated. The adrenaline of the last few hours was wearing off, leaving her light-headed; the combination of that with her own nervousness created a tumult within her. Her eyes drank them in, a balm to her soul; and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to announce her presence. Holding off – even for a minute – was one more minute she could pretend that nothing had changed.

But everything HAD changed. The horrors she'd seen inside Terminus; the terror she experienced while on the road alone; the weight of Lizzie and Mika on her soul – the Carol that waited beneath the leaves was far removed from the Carol that had left the prison that last fateful day. And even that Carol was a new one, born from the adversity of the last year. Honestly, she was re-born the night that Ed died; again when Sophia walked out of that dreadful barn; and once more when Daryl found her fading away in the Tombs. Now, standing here, she crawled from the cocoon of her ordeal and watched the group begin to settle together.

No more than ten paces away, Daryl stood with his head down, not quite believing it was over. He thought this was what it must feel like to ride a roller-coaster [for he never had]; the highs of finding common ground with Beth and reuniting with Rick, Carl, and Michonne in time to save them – contrasted with the lows of losing Beth, the hell he'd endured while traveling with the nomads, and the helplessness that almost consumed him in the train car; and now he was flying again. Never one for small talk and camaraderie, he shifted to move further into the woods when a flash of movement caught his eye.

Not an animal, not an enemy…but her. His eyes blinked in disbelief for a moment, his brain not quite believing what he saw – but his body was already in motion, crashing through the brush to capture her in his arms. She went willingly into his embrace, returning his fierce clutch with one of her own. He couldn't hold her tight enough, couldn't get close enough; and for a moment, he staggered backwards as he lifted her to him.

Caught in his powerful arms, Carol gave herself one moment, then another, to simply soak up his enthusiastic joy. She laughed to herself as Daryl desperately clung to her, but she couldn't keep herself from watching the rest of the group and trying to gauge their reactions. She felt his grasp loosen and looked back to Daryl, only to see the normally recalcitrant hunter's face fill with emotion. He dropped his face to her shoulder, and simply wept. 

There were no words.


	2. Chapter 2

Even back at the farm, he could always sense her gaze on him. An itch between his shoulders, a tickle behind his ears; somehow, he just **knew** when she was watching. At first, he figured it had more to do with the search for Sophia – but after that horrible day at the barn, he could still feel her watchful eyes.

And now, there was nothing. It surprised him that he actually missed it, missed feeling like someone was watching out for **him** – not just because they wanted something from him, but simply because they cared. It bothered him that he missed it, but stronger than the annoyance was the fear that something was wrong.

Carol was surprised at how easily she had been reabsorbed into the group. After everything – Karen and David, Lizzie and Mika, Terminus – she couldn't believe how things seemed to settle back into place. Rick was a father again, to Carl AND Judith; Daryl was a leader in his own right; and the others now formed a cohesive group. Tyrese may not have forgiven her, but he did understand (to a certain extent) why she had done what she did. The tragedy of Lizzie and Mika had seen to that.

But she felt more outside of the group than ever before. Something fundamental had shifted inside of her, and despite her genuine relief at seeing everyone [or at least, mostly everyone] safe, she couldn't bring herself to assimilate back into the fold. After Rick's betrayal, the things she had seen and done while alone, and the loss of two more daughters, she felt numb to it all. And she didn't know if she _wanted_ to feel ever again.


End file.
